Why Buy Better Paint?

I recently attended a meeting where a fellow artist gave a talk and demonstration. He is popular among some of the local artists, seems to be a nice guy, and I was interested to hear what he had to say. I think it is good for all artists to be exposed to different ideas often. Examining alternate theories and opinions can help us grow and strengthen our understanding of our own thought processes.

However, when someone teaches others something that is completely incorrect, I feel it is necessary to correct them. The artist (let's call him Artist B) said that it does not matter what art supplies you use and that he buys the cheapest paints and brushes he can find at hobby stores. That is okay for brushes, but not for paints. The reason for the distinction is that the brushes are not part of the final artwork. They are a tool that can be used and discarded. The paint is a different matter altogether.

1. Alizarin Crimson and other mistakes

When artist B listed his palette colors, he had Alizarin Crimson on his palette. Maybe he is not aware that alizarin is one of the lowest quality pigments available? It fades and turns brown after a short period. The pigment is so inferior to modern pigments that most art supply companies have been replacing it with Alizarin Crimson Hue to preserve their reputation. The replacement pigment, quinacridone, is far superior in every single way. There is no advantage to using alizarin. Unfortunately, it is a relatively cheap pigment and manufacturers are unloading it on uninformed buyers.

Perhaps artist B is using quinacridone and just doesn't know it? That would be fine... if he were not encouraging other painters to use it. Bad advice is much worse than no advice.

Cheaper paints do not list the pigment information on their tubes. This in itself is suspicious. There is no excuse for an artist to be ignorant about their pigments when the information is so readily available online. A major art supply distributor recently removed the pigment information for their own line of paints because the lightfastness ratings were so low. Don't be fooled.

bottom row = paints after UV exposure (alizarin here is actually quinacridone)

2. Lightfastness

Lightfastness is the rating of how long a pigment will retain its original qualities when exposed to ultraviolet rays for an extended period of time. UV rays can break down the molecules in a pigment and cause it to turn brown, yellow, and fade. Do you want your colors to change over the next few years? If not, be familiar with your pigments and buy quality brands.

3. Fillers

Because pigment is the most expensive element of any medium, many manufacturers add fillers to their paints as a cheap alternative. Your cheap Titanium White may have a lot of chalk added to it. The presence of fillers alters the working properties of the paint and tends to weaken its tinting strength. You may end up having to use more tubes of cheap paint to get the color you want.

4. Cracking

Artist B works in oils. Perhaps the worst disadvantage of using oil paint is its tendency to crack. I once read an article by museum curators complaining that oil paintings less than 10 years old were having to be taken down from their museums because the paint was cracking so badly. Cheaper brands may not have a consistent ratio of binder to pigment in each of their tubes. This means your red underpainting may have more binder in it than the upper layer of white and your surface will crack when the upper layer is already dry and the unerpainting is continuing to dry. The consistency can also vary between tubes of the same color. This creates a nightmare when mixing paints.

5. Buyers deserve quality

You may not care about the quality of your paints or how the art will look in 5 years, but your buyers will. It is not worth it to save a few dollars on a painting that you are selling for hundreds or thousands. Skimping on your pigments is unethical. Quality paints perform better, last longer, and look better.

6. You get what you pay for

If you are an art buyer, always demand that the art you buy for your collection is made using quality supplies. Artwork in your collection should last for future generations to enjoy. Art created with markers on newsprint might look okay for a few months, but it is not worth the investment.

If you are an artist, be sure to use high quality art supplies. I do not work for the art supply companies and am not advertising any here, though I certainly have my preferences. If you save money by using cheap paints, the damage to the painting will be nothing compared to the damage to your reputation.

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Christopher Reid is an award-winning artist working in pastel, watercolor, acrylic,and charcoal. He paints all different subjects from coastal landscapes to wildlife to portraits. View his work at reidsart.com or email [email protected]